A cactus garden will never take the place of a petting zoo. With this in mind, even a cactus garden will reach new levels of threat with ...Read MoreJumpers. Curve-billed thrashers will build their nests on the top of these plants because ground dwelling predators have not figured out how to climb over the nasty spines.
Jumping Cholla branches have harpooned spines each with a protective "paper" sheath to keep the barbs extremely sharp for the moment of action. Touch a needle and it will securely anchor to your skin. Pull it out and the mooring quills will yank flesh with them. Grab an attached branch with your free hand and you have suddenly inserted many more spines into your innocent self.
SO DON'T PANIC
GET TOOLS (fork, tongs or even sticks) AND SLOWLY PRY THE BRANCH OFF
I have dozens of these beautiful cacti on my property. I have grown most of them from branches off of a mature plant. Stick a broken branch in the ground anywhere and it takes off.
I have not seen this plant for sale in any local Tucson nursery. You cannot legally extract and transport this indigenous Arizona plant without a permit. I think you can transport branches legally without a permit and therefore you can start your own plants from gathered unrooted pieces.
I rooted four cuttings of Cylindropuntia fulgida a few years ago. The spines are terribly dangerous. They even penetrated welder's gloves...Read More. I had to use tongs and fat wads of rolled-up newspaper to manipulate them.
Water very very sparingly. One teaspoon every few weeks for each cutting (a cutting is a segment of the plant) is enough. Never give even rooted cuttings a heavy watering. I killed my rooted cuttings this way. They were just starting in on their growing season, and I reasoned that they could tolerate the extra water. Not likely!
This plant loves the south texas soil. This plant has a rapid growth rate and will produce tons of arms once its established. I recently ...Read Morepruned around 50 arms and gave them out to people I know who wanted this unique cacti. My plant has not bloomed yet though.
As Palmbob indicates there is nothing worse than getting one of these in you. I have had them go right through a hiking boot and once in...Read More they barb and make it impossible to pull out. Anything they touch they will get stuck to.
I do however contend that this is a beautiful cactus. When the morning or evening light hits the Jumping Cholla spines, they light up with a glow unlike any plant I have seen. In areas where they grow prolifically like on Route 60 near just past Gold Canyon, AZ they create an amazing environment when mixed with saguaro and ocotillo. I think it is one of the most beautiful desert environments I have seen. .
Although it has lots of spines as well as it seems to jump at you when you get to close to it, it is a really cool plant the is good ...Read Moreto have in the background as well as it is good at keeping the dogs from pooping in your yard. :)
I like it a lot and wish that my parents would let me grow more. I love all types of chollas so if you know of any good ones let me know.
This a very stickery plant, but it's spring blooms are awesome. Little bees love it. It is easy to keep trimmed up and it never has to be...Read More watered.
works well in my cacti garden. just watch your backside :)
AKA, Hanging Chain Cholla, chain fruit cholla, cholla brincadora, velas de coyote.
I've seen this growing in the wild surr...Read Moreounding Phoenix; in Oro Valley, AZ and on the 'El Camino Del Diablo Trail' (Devils' Highway) that runs between Ajo and Wellton, Arizona in the Cabeza Prieta National Wildlife Refuge.
Also seen these growing in the wild on the West Ruby Road Trail in Arizona (South of Tucson), off of Interstate 19 through to Ruby, AZ and on to Arivaca, AZ.
Also known as Cholla or jumping cholla back in New Mexico where I grew up, this is one of the least garden-friendly plants I can think of...Read More and would strongly advise against growing it unless you have a pain wish. There are many times I can think why this cactus was aptly named, having hiked thousands of miles about the high deserts and been nailed by this plant even though I was sure I had clearance of it. The spines are very well barbed and nearly impossible to pull out intact. It takes months for your body to finally eject the spine, if ever. Just brush up against it and an entire leaf full of spines will immediately unattach itself from the mother plant and stick into you. It's in this way it ends up all over the place because it roots whereever the leaf falls. And it's not that great looking a cactus to begin with, though the 'skeletons' of this plant are highly ornamental- long cylinders full of holes- often used in decorations by the Indians.
A cactus garden will never take the place of a petting zoo. With this in mind, even a cactus garden will reach new levels of threat with ...Read More
I rooted four cuttings of Cylindropuntia fulgida a few years ago. The spines are terribly dangerous. They even penetrated welder's gloves...Read More
This plant loves the south texas soil. This plant has a rapid growth rate and will produce tons of arms once its established. I recently ...Read More
As Palmbob indicates there is nothing worse than getting one of these in you. I have had them go right through a hiking boot and once in...Read More
Although it has lots of spines as well as it seems to jump at you when you get to close to it, it is a really cool plant the is good ...Read More
This a very stickery plant, but it's spring blooms are awesome. Little bees love it. It is easy to keep trimmed up and it never has to be...Read More
AKA, Hanging Chain Cholla, chain fruit cholla, cholla brincadora, velas de coyote.
I've seen this growing in the wild surr...Read More
Also known as Cholla or jumping cholla back in New Mexico where I grew up, this is one of the least garden-friendly plants I can think of...Read More